Born and raised in the Hutt Valley suburb of Taita, Clinton Taylor Brown (b. 27 June, 1951) adopted the bass guitar early. His first band, The Society, formed when he was 14, teamed him with drummer Keith Norris for one of the longest-serving rhythm sections in New Zealand rock and roll. Performances at Jack’s Coffee Lounge in Courtenay Place, popular with Wellington’s Greek expatriates, led to regular performances at Greek community social events and at Lower Hutt’s Kryptos Club, a Friday night church-organised youth club.